As you gonna understand from the heading, this post smells like an ocean! Cap Ferret, a peninsula on French west-coast, is a specific and unique summer gateway for the wealthy Bordelais and Parisians for many years. With its unique landscape as well, they are always in an endless competition with its south-coast nemesis (St jean de Luz). As I mention about wealthiness of the area don't flash somewhere like St Tropez! Here, there is no luxurious yachts, no Ivana Trump or Paris Hilton. Cap Ferret is a village de pêcheurs who called themselves as "poisons de la mer". Instead you will find fishing boats and oyster farmers driving around town on their forklifts. In addition don't have big expectations about the architecture of the houses like the ones Gehry built on the "west coast". Small wood houses perfectly lost in the nature and made from local pine are decorated with blue and white shutters.

In the ocean, the waves are decent enough to encourage an enthusiastic surf community. On the beach side, at the low tide, life is more serene contrary to the ones inside the water. Slow by slow people are trickling across the sands. While some of them pursuit of picking up shells, the others prefer to just lay down and watch the surfers.

Late afternoons are devoted to fresh oysters with white wine. You have plenty of addresses to have them but, we decided to try a suggestion of a local friend (locals know the best) Chez Boulan. In this small but cute restaurant as a couple we spent one of the happiest time of our life. Good food, lover and a landscape (dunes of Arcachon). Awesome trinity !!! As far as I remember they don't accept reservations so be ready to be at the line. I feel like hearing your unsatisfied inner voice. Don't worry you will not understand how time spin away thanks to the friendly and chatty staff. And finally when you pass through your table everything will be there in a minute.

Ps: In France people eat oysters just in months that contain "r" (in French). This rule is little merit today, as it dates from the days of Louis XIV and a royal edict forbidding farmers from harvesting wild oysters during the months without an "r", the period of reproduction.

To Go: If you have a car happy you !!! But if you haven't don't worry here is the masters of the public transportation talking, from the central Bordeaux , when you catch the bus number 601 around in 1:30 hours you will be in Cap Ferret. Busses are super cool and comfortable.

Me & Myself

"Never use the word “cheap”. Today everybody can look chic in inexpensive clothes (the rich buy them too). There is good clothing design on every level today. You can be the chicest thing in the world in a T-shirt and jeans - it’s up to you."
Karl Lagerfeld